Development and manufacture of soft starters, variable frequency drives and motor controls for industrial applications
Benshaw Inc.
Pittsburgh (PA), USA · Listowel (Ontario), Canada · Sendenhorst, GermanyNew on Amplifa
About Benshaw
Benshaw is a manufacturer of motor controls and drives headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). The company develops and manufactures low-voltage and medium-voltage soft starters, variable frequency drives (VFDs), Motor Control Systems (BMCS), switchgear enclosures and control panels, as well as contactors and overload relays. According to Wikipedia, the voltage ranges extend from 208 V to 15 kV with power ratings up to 60,000 hp (45,000 kW). Benshaw was established in 1983 as a manufacturer of solid-state motor controls; its roots go back to its founding in 1974. The company is part of the Amconex Group (since 2019 together with its sister company AuCom for IEC markets) and serves customers in more than 150 countries through a worldwide distribution network. In addition to manufacturing, Benshaw offers project engineering, commissioning, field service, factory service, retrofits and training.
- Site
- Sendenhorst
- Processes
- Design, development and manufacture of motor controls and drives (soft starters and, Project engineering (in-house design, manufacturing and commissioning of motor control solutions), Custom-engineered control panels (custom switchgear enclosures/control panels), Commissioning, site surveys, Field service / maintenance / servicing of motor controls (Benshaw and third-party products), Factory service: diagnostics, analysis, repair and conversion of motor control systems, Retrofits for existing products (Benshaw and third-party manufacturers), Panel manufacturing and sub-assembly (historical core activity)
- Materials
- Solid-State Motor Controls, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), Motor Control Center / BMCS Motor Control System, Contactors (RediStart™), Overload Relays and Motor Starter Protectors
- Certificates
- UL/cUL Listed (catalog specification)
- Founded
- 1983
- Industries
- Automotive & Transportation, Building Services, Data Centers, Food & Beverage, Irrigation & Agriculture, Marine
- 01
Engineering and design
- 02
Electronics and panel manufacturing / sub-assembly
- 03
Assembly of motor controls and switchgear enclosures
- 04
Testing and factory service (diagnostics, repair)
- 05
Commissioning and field service
- 06
Retrofits, maintenance and training
Products and Technologies
Solid-State Motor Controls
Power electronics for soft starting, protection and precise control of three-phase motors.
Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
Sensorless vector drives from micro to high-performance industrial drives and custom drive controls.
Motor Control Center / BMCS Motor Control System
Flexible motor control system as an alternative to traditional MCCs.
Contactors (RediStart™)
IEC/NEMA contactors 9–800 A for motor and load switching up to 690 VAC.
Overload Relays and Motor Starter Protectors
Bimetallic, electronic and digital overload relays as well as manual starters with motor protection.
Locations
Pittsburgh, PA (615 Alpha Drive, 15238)
USHeadquarters, research & development, high-volume manufacturing
- Materials
- Motor controls (standard and custom configurations)
Listowel, Ontario
CACustom switchgear enclosures and motor control panels
- Materials
- Custom-engineered control panels
Sendenhorst (Borsigstraße 6, 48324)
DEGermany location (contact/support per JSON-LD)
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design, development and manufacture of motor controls and drives (soft starters andEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Project engineering (in-house design, manufacturing and commissioning of motor control solutions)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Custom-engineered control panels (custom switchgear enclosures/control panels)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Commissioning, site surveysEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Field service / maintenance / servicing of motor controls (Benshaw and third-party products)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Factory service: diagnostics, analysis, repair and conversion of motor control systemsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Retrofits for existing products (Benshaw and third-party manufacturers)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Panel manufacturing and sub-assembly (historical core activity)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of motor controls in the voltage range 208 V to 15 kV, power ratings up to 60,000 hpAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Quality and Certification
According to the company, Benshaw contactors and starters are UL/cUL listed and tested to IEC and NEMA standards. The RediStart™ contactor program is rated to UL/CSA, IEC, NEMA, BS, EN and VDE and comes with a two-year factory coverage.
| Evidence | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| UL/cUL Listed (catalog specification) |
History
- 1974
Benshaw founded as a small company by Bob Schaltenbrand, Rich Benko, Pramodh Nijawan and Louis Posa; name derived from Benko/Schaltenbrand; early years with panel manufacturing and sub-assembly.
- 1979
Bob and Sandy Schaltenbrand launch Saftronics Inc. in the USA together with Saftronics Ltd. (Canada); the relationship later ends.
- 1983
Bob Schaltenbrand revitalizes Benshaw Inc. as a manufacturer of solid-state motor controls; headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.
- 1988
Founding of Benshaw Canada Controls Inc. in Listowel, Ontario (May 1988).
- 2008
Acquisition by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation; operated as a business unit under Curtiss-Wright Flow Control.
- 2014
Acquisition by the Regal Beloit Corporation; operated as a brand of Regal Beloit.
- 2019
Acquisition by Sun Capital Partners; on 17.12.2019 acquisition of AuCom Electronics Ltd. (New Zealand, founded 1978); part of the Amconex Group with Benshaw (NEMA) and AuCom (IEC) as sister companies.